Boiling point: Putting induction, electric, and gas to the test

Just be patient: A watched pot will boil. But how long are you willing to wait? Does water boil faster when it’s heated on a gas range, an electric coil stovetop, or an induction cooktop?

Well, we watched, and it boiled. In SCHOTT’s research labs, we put these three cooktops to the test to determine which method boiled 0.75 liters of water fastest. Here’s what we saw:

Here’s a breakdown of the results. It took a little over 4 minutes to boil water on an induction cooktop. That was three minutes faster than on an electric coil (about 7 minutes), and four full minutes faster than on the gas range (about 8 minutes). Induction was the clear winner in our test kitchen.

The results also show how heat transfers from its origin to the pot. Our infrared thermal sensors revealed that induction cooking wastes very little energy, and the Department of Energy has calculated that an induction cooktop can be up to 84 percent efficient in its energy transfer. Electric was next, at around 80 percent efficiency – still good, but it still took a lot of time to boil the water. A desired feature in many homes today, gas proved to be the least efficient: Only about 44 percent of the energy produced went into heating the water, according to the DoE. Gas, by far, was the least efficient way to boil a pot of water.

The kitchen is a great place to conduct experiments (and we don’t mean cooking something new). Stay tuned for more videos about the research we do on our CERAN® glass-ceramic, and the types of tests our cooktops undergo.

Hello, I’m Ted Wegert, Director Applications Engineering at SCHOTT North America. I specialize in product and material development and design, and mechanical analyses for glass and glass-ceramics. I’ve worked for SCHOTT for more than 18 years, leading product development for appliances, fireplaces, armor, and other industry applications. I’m an active member of the Association of Home Appliance Members, UL Environment, and the American Ceramic Society. I earned my bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. When I’m not working, I enjoy mountain biking, cyclocross, reading, and forming glass art. I’m also a frequent home renovator.

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